Difference Between Cypionate and Propionate

The key difference between cypionate and propionate is that cypionate is the conjugate base of cypionic acid, whereas propionate is the conjugate base of propionic acid.

Cypionic acid and propionic acid are organic compounds. The anionic forms or the conjugate base of these acid molecules are cypionate ion and propionate ion, respectively. Both cypionic acid and propionic acid are carboxylic acid compounds containing -COOH functional groups.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Cypionate 
3. What is Propionate
4. Similarities – Cypionate and Propionate
5. Cypionate vs Propionate in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Cypionate vs Propionate

What is Cypionate?

Cypionate is the conjugate base of cypionic acid. Cypionic acid is an aliphatic carboxylic acid having the chemical formula C₈H₁₄O₂. The anion formed from this acid is cypionate, but the salts and esters of cypionic acid are also known as cypionate, as a collective name.

Cypionic acid has its primary uses in pharmaceutical formulations. It is important in preparing ester prodrugs, having increased half-lives compared to the parent compound. In the cypionic acid molecule, the cypionate group allows the prodrug to undergo sequestering in fat depots after IM injections. The most common drugs containing the cypionate anion include testosterone cypionate, estradiol cypionate, hydrocortisone cypionate, oxabolone cypionate, etc.

The chemical formula of cypionate anion is C8H13O2-. It forms from the removal of one hydrogen atom from cypionic acid. This hydrogen atom removes from the -COOH (carboxylic group) of the cypionic acid molecule. The molar mass of this anion is 141.2 g/mol. When considering the chemical nature of cypionate, it has a cyclic structure bound to a short carbon chain where the -COO chemical moiety occurs at the terminal of that carbon chain.

What is Propionate?

Propionate is the conjugate base of propionic acid. It is a naturally occurring carboxylic acid compound having the chemical formula CH₃CH₂COOH. It is an aliphatic compound, and there are no aromatic or cyclic structures in this molecule. Therefore, the propionate anion is also an aliphatic structure. The salts and esters of propionic acid are collectively named propionates. These propionates usually occur in the liquid state and have a pungent odor as well.

The chemical formula of propionate anion is C3H5O2-. The molar mass of this anion is 73.1 g/mol. It is formed from the removal of one hydrogen atom from the propionic acid molecule where the hydrogen atom bound to the carboxylic acid group (-COOH) separates, leaving a negative charge.

What are the Similarities Between Cypionate and Propionate?

1. Cypionate and propionate are conjugate bases.
2. Both anions form from a carboxylic acid.
3. They form through the removal of a hydrogen atom from -COOH functional group.

What is the Difference Between Cypionate and Propionate?

Cypionate and propionate are anions formed from cypionic acid and propionic acid. Therefore, the key difference between cypionate and propionate is that cypionate is the conjugate base of cypionic acid, whereas propionate is the conjugate base of propionic acid. Moreover, cypionate contains a cyclic structure in the anion, while propionate is a linear structure.

The following infographic presents the difference between cypionate and propionate in tabular form.

Summary – Cypionate vs Propionate

Cypionic acid and propionic acid are organic compounds that we can categorize as carboxylic acid compounds. The key difference between cypionate and propionate is that cypionate is the conjugate base of cypionic acid, whereas propionate is the conjugate base of propionic acid.

Reference:

1. “Propionate.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Cypionic acid” By Ed (Edgar181) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Propionic acid chemical structure” By Хорев Сергей – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia